As a public health emergency of international concern, the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has gained intense attention globally, posing serious threats to people's lives, as well as to their physical and psychological health [1]. As of 2 April 2020, the number of confirmed cases worldwide has exceeded 1000, 000 and the global situation is of the utmost seriousness. The Chinese government has implemented strict self-and forced-quarantine measures across the country. Under the unified deployment of the education department, the return of students to colleges has been postponed in most provinces [2, 3]. More than one million college students in Guangdong Province are currently studying online at home.

In any biological disaster, the themes of depression, uncertainty, and fear are common [4, 5]. A study included 1210 respondents from 194 cities in China found that 53.8% of respondents rated the psychological impact of the pandemic as moderate or severe; 16.5% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 28.8% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, and 8.1% reported moderate to severe stress levels [6]. Prolonged lockdown had several adverse impacts on mental health. In a survey, respondents aged 12–21.4 years showed a higher psychological impact four weeks later than that on the onset of COVID-19. This age group mainly comprised of students who were undergoing prolonged school suspensions, requiring online education support and uncertainty about examinations and enrollment arrangements [7]. Furthermore, people with preexisting psychiatric illnesses had difficulty accessing mental health services during the lockdown [8]. Strict self-quarantine measures may also affect college students with mental health problems. We need a larger epidemiological survey evaluating the psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college students.